1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of reconstituting and marinating meat from trims of fish, poultry, pork, veal or the like. In particular, the present method enables meat to be reconstituted and marinated while still in a frozen state.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various methods have been devised to reconstitute meat from trims or scrap pieces of beef, veal, pork, fish, poultry or the like for maximizing recovery of meat products therefrom. One known method of reconstituting meat makes use of binding agents for holding pieces of trims together so that the reconstituted meat does not fall apart during cooking. The known method includes the steps of coating fresh, i.e. not previously frozen, trims with a commercially available binding agent or binder, packing the trims in a mold, then allowing the binding agent to cure at about 35° F. for one hour. An example of a commercially available binder contains 0.5% trans-glutaminase, 2.5% sodium polyphosphate, 2.5% anhydrous sodium pyrophosphate, 2.0% sillicon dioxide, and 92.5% casein. Another example of a binding agent contains 75.0% protein (from milk and/or egg) and 25.0% calcium chloride and/or sodium chloride.
However, the conventional binding agents added to the reconstituted meat are “chemicals” that many consumers deem undesirable for consumption. In addition, the binding agent sometimes gives the reconstituted meat an “unnatural” resiliency or flavor. Thus, adding binding agents decreases the marketability of the reconstituted meat.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,807,598 discloses methods of reconstituting meat absent conventional binding agents. The patent teaches the use of the “purge”, i.e. the natural fluid released from ruptured cells of previously frozen animal tissue when defrosted, which typically collects on the outer surface of the defrosted meat, to substitute for the conventional binding agent. The “purge” contains an adequate amount of cellular protein, which functions as a “glue” by, for example, becoming denatured and cross-linked and gelatinous in nature and forms an adhesive or cohesive bond between adjoining trims such that the meat trims are joined, adhered or otherwise held together. To produce an adequate amount of “purge”, the meat trims need to be frozen first and then defrosted.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,248,381 discloses a method for reconstituting meat by compressing frozen trims to a sufficient pressure to lower the freezing point below the temperature of the frozen trims. The desired amount of “purge” is formed by an external force on the outer surface of the frozen trims. This method neither requires the trims to be defrosted by warming nor the use of any artificial agent for holding the meat trims together.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,863,578 relates to a method for packaging seafood wherein pieces of seafood such as shrimp or fish filets are marinated or coated in a sauce, placed on a pallet, vacuum sealed in a bag, and flash frozen by blast freezing, contact freezing, or tunnel freezing.
These patents, however, neither teach nor suggest a process for producing a frozen marinated and reconstituted meat product without using conventional binders and without the need to first freeze and then thaw the meat product.